Block-surfacing machine.



A. CARPENTER.

BLOCK SURFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY24. 1913.

L1 3%.WWfi. Patented Apr. 113, 1915.

2 SHEETS-611E111 1.

W W NW J4 5? w .20 J7 If m M 4% o w Inventor Attorneys THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO-H1110 WASHINGTON. D. c

A. CARPENTER.

BLOCK SURFACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man JULY24. 191a.

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Inventor Witnesses THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

2 SHEET8-SHEET 2.

ALEXANDER CARPENTER, 0F PRAIRIE DEPOT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 FREDRICK K. GELWIX, OF FINDLAY, OHIO.

BLOGK-SURFACING MACHINE.

Application filed July 24., 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prairie Depot, in the county of Wood and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Block-Surfacing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for surfacing blocks of the type commonly used by butchers.

One object of the invention is to provide novel means for procuring a reciprocation of the carriage and for procuring a reciprocation of the tool holder upon the carriage.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for operatively connecting the tool holding shaft with the actuating shaft and with the drive shaft.

The invention aims to improve generally and to enhance the utility of, devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 shows the invention in top plan; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 8 is a transverse section; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the supporting posts, the view depicting a portion of the means whereby the block holding platform is raised and lowered; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the means whereby the block holding platform is connected with the lifting mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional detail showing the structure depicted in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a top plan of the cutter; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail showing the means whereby the tool holder is interlocked for sliding movement with the carriage.

Tn carrying out the invention there is provided a supporting frame comprising tubular legs 1, the legs at the ends of the frame being united by. bottom bars 2 which may be received in couplings 3 assembled Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915..

Serial No. 781,016.

which are adjustably united by means of threaded unions 6.

A block holding platform is provided, the same including lower tracks 7 which extend longitudinally of the machine. The ends of the lower tracks 7 of the block holding platform are pivoted as indicated at 8 to threaded studs 9. The studs 9 at one end of the machine are provided with longitudinal slots 10, as shown in Fig. 5, these slots receiving the pivot elements 8. At the other end of the machine, the openings which receive the pivot elements 8 are not elongated, but conform to the cross sectional contour of the pivot elements 8. The utility of this structure will be brought out hereinafter.

The studs 9 are provided with reduced portions 9 The threaded portions of the studs 9 are received in the side arms 11 of sleeves 12 which are mounted to reciprocate vertically upon the legs 1. The lower edges of the sleeves 12 are engaged by supports 1%, located within the legs 1 and projecting outwardly through slots 15 in the legs. The supports 14 are attached to the lower ends of rods 16 lying within the legs 1.

Mounted upon the upper end of each leg 1 is a sleeve 17, upon which is superposed a washer 18 through which the rod 16 passes. Each rod 16 at its upper end is threaded as shown at 19 to cooperate with a lever nut 20, each lever nut 20 bearing upon the washer 18. The block holding platform includes cross bars 21, notched as shown at 22 in Fig. 3 to receive the lower tracks 7, the latter elements preferably taking the form of '1' bars.

Threaded into the cross bars 21 are screws 23, adapted to hold in place the block 2% which is to be surfaced.

Disposed parallel to the lower tracks 7 and located above the same are upper tracks 25, connected with the side arms 26 of the sleeves 17. The upper tracks 25 may be trussed as indicated at 27. The ends of the upper tracks 25 are united by cross bars 28 and braces 29 extend across the angles defined by the cross bars and the upper tracks.

Mounted to move upon the upper tracks 25 in the direction of the length of the upper tracks, but held against movement transversely of the upper tracks is a carriage 30 which may be fashioned from T bars. At one end, the constituent T bars of the carriage are united by a tie 31, as clearly shown in Fig. l, the T bars of the carriage bein united at their other ends by a tie 32. The tie 31 is provided at its outer face with bearings 33, between which is located a beveled pinion 34. A drive shaft 36-is journaled for rotation in the bearings 33 and the beveled pinion 34 is splined as indicated at 37 to the shaft 36.

The construction is such that when the carriage 30 is moved to and fro in the direction of the length of the drive shaft 36 the beveled pinion 34 will move along the shaft 36 with the carriage 30, rotation being imparted to the beveled pinion 34 when the shaft 36 is rotated, the splined construction 37 effecting this result. The beveled pinion 34 which is operatively connected with the drive shaft 36 meshes into a beveled pinion 38 secured to a transverse actuating shaft 39 journaled in bearings 40 on the ties 31 and 32 of the carriage 30.

Mounted to slide upon the carriage 3O longitudinally of the same and transversely of the drive shaft 36 is a tool holder 41 which, as shown in Fig. 8 may be flanged as indicated at 42 to interlock slidably with the T bars of the carriage 30. The tool holder 41 is provided with bearings 43 in which the actuating shaft 39 is journaled. Mounted upon the actuating shaft 39 and held between the bearings 43 is a beveled pinion 44 which is splined as indicated at 45 to the actuating shaft 39. The construction is such that when the tool holder 41 is slid longitudinally of the carriage 30, the beveled pinion 44 will move longitudinally of the shaft 39, the spline 45 imparting continuous rotation to the beveled pinion 44.

As shown best in Fig. 3, the tool holder 41 is provided with an upright bearing 46 in which is journaled a tool holding shaft 47 provided at its upper end with a beveled pinion 48 which meshes into the beveled pinion 44 on the actuating shaft 39.

Secured to the lower end of the tool holding shaft 47 is a horizontally operating outter 49 which may be of any desired form. In the present instance, as shown in Fig. 7, the cutter comprises a block 50 to the op posite edges of which angular knives 52 are secured, the lower edges of the knives being adapted to operate upon the upper surface of the block 24. Obviously, any suitable form of cutter may be employed.

A means is provided for moving the tool holder 41 longitudinally of the carriage 30. This means preferably comprises a lead screw 53 journaled for rotation in the carriage 30 and threaded in the tool holder 41,

the lead screw 53 being equipped at one end with a crank 54.

The end portions of the drive shaft 36 are journaled in angular brackets 55 and 56 which are inserted terminally into the couplings 4 which are carried by and constitute a portion of the legs 1. As will be understood best from Fig. 2, the bracket 56 is bifurcated at its upper end, in order to afford an increased support for that end of the shaft 36 which carries the driving pulley 58. The bracket 56 is reinforced by a brace 57 which extends downwardly and is connected to the lower portion of one of the legs 1.

Mounted upon the legs 1 at one end of the machine, as will be understood best from Fig. 1, are bearings 59. In the bearings 59 and in a bearing 60 which is carried by a bracket 61 secured to one of the upper tracks 25 is a shaft 62 provided at one end with a crank 63. Secured to the shaft 62 are sprocket wheels 64. At the other end of the machine, brackets 65 are secured to the upper tracks 25, the brackets 65 supporting for rotation, sprocket wheels 66. Sprocket chains 67 are trained around the sprocket wheels 64 and 66, the sprocket chains 67 being secured as indicated at 68 to the carriage 30.

In practical operation rotation is imparted to the drive shaft 36 through the medium of the pulley 58, the drive shaft 36 actuating the beveled pinion 34 and the latter, through the medium of the beveled pinion 38 actuating the transverse shaft 39. From the shaft 39 motion is transmitted by the beveled pinions 44 and 48 to the tool holding shaft 47, the latter rotating the cutter 49. The cutter 49, obviously, is adapted to engage the block 34 at its upper end.

lVhen the handle 63 is actuated, rotatory movement is imparted to the shaft 62, the latter through the medium of the sprocket wheels 64 and the sprocket chains 67, serving to advance the carriage 30 in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 1. By this operation, the cutter 49 will be made to travel across the upper face of the block 24, and since the cutter is in rotation, a strip or zone will be cut off the upper end of the block. When the carriage 30 is advanced in the direction of the arrow A, as above described, the bearings 33, engaging the beveled pinion 34, will move the beveled pinion longitudinally of the drive shaft 36, but because the beveled pinion 34 is splined as indicated at 37 to the shaft 36 rotatory movement will be imparted continuously to the pinion 34.

After the zone or strip has been cut from the top of the block 24, in the manner hereinbefore described, the lead screw 53 is manipulated through the medium of the crank 54. The lead screw 53, being threaded in the tool holder 41, will advance the tool holder 41 upon the carriage 30, in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 1. Thus, the cutter 49 will be moved over into a position in which it will cut a new zone from the top of the block 24 when the carriage is reciprocated longitudinally of the tracks 25.

The machine herein disclosed permits blocks of different heights to be worked upon, and in this connection, attention is directed especially to the structure shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Referring to these figures, when the lever nuts 20 are rotated, the threaded rods 16 will be raised and lowered. Since the supports 14 are attached to the lower ends of the rods 16, the supports, engaging the sleeves 12 will raise and lower the sleeves upon the legs 1. When the sleeves are raised and lowered, the threaded studs 9 which are assembled with the sleeves will be raised and lowered also, upward and downward movement of the studs serving to raise and lower the lower tracks 7, the cross bars 21 which are supported by the lower tracks, and the block 24 which rests upon the cross ars.

The lower tracks 7 may be elevated'at one end of the machine only, to effect a leveling up of the block 24. In this connection, it is to be observed, that the slots 10, shown in Fig. 5, permit the lower tracks 7 to be dis posed in a plane which is inclined with respect to the horizontal. Recalling that the slots 10 are located at one end only of the machine, and that at the other end of the machine the pivot elements 8 are received in circular openings which need not be shown or described in detail, a longitudinal, shaking movement in the tracks 7 is avoided.

As will be understood readily, the notched cross bars 21 may be slid along the lower tracks 7 until the block 24 is positioned properly to be acted upon by the cutter 49.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a machine for surfacing butchers blocks, a frame embodying pairs of legs; connections between the legs of the respective pairs; upper tracks uniting the legs of the different pairs longitudinally of the frame; lower tracks uniting the legs of the different pairs longitudinally of the frame, the upper and lower tracks being spaced vertically to define a transverse opening through the frame; a removable block supporting platform terminally insertible into the frame through the opening and adapted to rest upon the lower tracks; a carriage mounted to move upon the upper tracks; means for moving the carriage along the upper tracks; a tool holder mounted to move on the carriage transversely of the direction of movement of the carriage; a block-engaging tool carried by the tool holder; means for moving the tool holder on the carriage; and means for operating the tool.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

H. L. MEssER, CI-IAs. FIKE.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

